Cable-head for electric wires



(No Model.)

H. A. TOBEY. CABLE HEAD EOE ELECTRIC WIRES.

` Patented July 13, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY ARCHIBALD TOBEY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

CABLE-HEAD FOR ELECTRIC WIRES.

SEOIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,464, dated July 13, 1897.

Application filed March 5, 1897. Serial No. 626,022. (No model.)

lle it known that I, HENRY Ancninann To- IBEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements -in Cable-Heads for Electric lVires; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to cable-heads for electric wires; and it .consists of certain improvements upon the device set forth in my application, Serial No. (510,187. In that application there is shown and described a cable-head of air and Water tight constructionhaving a circular connection-plate provided with means for connecting the main Wires With each other and with branch Wires and means for suitably insulating and protecting the Wires and their connections.

My present improvements, while embodying these main features, have for their object particularly to provide against the exposure of the connection plate or its connecting means and to more e'lfcctuallyinsulate and protect the branch wires, all as more fully hereinafter described.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure lis a longitudinal section of the iinproved cable-head, and Fig. 2 a detail of connection-plate- In the drawings, A designates the main body of the cable-head, consisting of a shell having a large upper chamber a and depending Walls forming a smaller chamber d. A cap B is fastened to the shell by a screwthread connection at b or by other suitable means of attachment, as bolts and nuts or screws. The abutting` port-ions of shell and cap may be provided with a facing of rubber or similar material to form a close air-tight joint.

To the end of the extension a is secured a sleeve D by means of a Washer-nut E, screwed on the end of the extension and having a groove 7c, which is adapted to receive a flange g of the sleeve and force the same tightly against the Wall of the shell When the nut is screwed up. Through an opening in the sleeve G is introduced a section of cable C, having a lead covering c', which terminates Within the cable-head a short distance from the entrance. At the outer end of the sleeve the latter is firmly soldered to the cable-covering, thus sealing the connection between these parts and also the opening into the head.

The shell A is provided in the base of chamber a with a series of threaded apertures, in which are screwed gutta-percha nipples or bushings Through these bushings are adapted to be inserted, so as to fit closely therein, rubber-covered or other suitably-insulated Wires l-I, by Which the branch connectious are established.- After the main cable and the branch wires H have been intro duced into the shell the chamber a and part of chamber a are filled with paraffin in a molten condition or some other good scaling and non-conducting substance, which when hardened effectuaily seals all the entrances into the easement or cable-head and renders the joints air-tight. Embedded in the paraffin at the upper surface thereof is a rubber ring L, through which the Wires of the cable are passed and Which forms a rounded surface for the Wires to bend over, thus preventing them coming in contact with hard edge of the sealing material.

The connection-plate consists of an annular disk F of some non-conducting material, secured to fiange a2 of the shell A by bolts or screws. Arranged in a circle around the inner circumference of this disk is a row of connection-studs or bindingscrews G, and beyond such row an outer similar series of studs l. The Wires from the cable are brought up through the central opening in the disk and connected to the bindingsposts of the inner row, While theV branch Wires are passed through apertures in the disk and then bound to posts I. The connections between the main cable and branch Wires are established by means of connecting Wires K or suitable bridges joining the respective binding-screws of the inner and outer rows.

If more than one cable is introduced into the head, the connections therewith of the Wires of the other cable and of the branch Wires may be eifected by providing a nut and Washer on each of the binding-screws, by

IOO

means of which the wires from one cable may be connected to the screws below the washers and the corresponding wires from the other cable to the same screws above the washers. In such construction the cables are brought together in chamber a, formed into one cable, and passed through ring Il, from whence they are distributed.

IVhen the cap B is removed, all the wires and connections being on the upper surface of the disk will be exposed to plain view and the cable-Wires, and oWin g tothe fact that the cable-Wires are carried up through the central opening and are therefore equidistant from all the binding-screws the connections may be quickly and conveniently changed or repaired. The compact arrangement of the parts of the cable-head enables the inclosing easement to be made of small size, While the complete insulation of the Wires and their connections and the sealed joints of the head obviates all danger usually encountered in devices of this character due to the presence of gas or moisture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In a cable-head for electric Wires, in combination with a main body, a cover therefor, air-tight joints between said body and cover, a central aperture in said body, and a series of side apertures arranged circularly around said central aperture, main cable-Wires entering said central aperture, branch ivires entering said side apertures,sealin g material in said body to seal the apertures, and a fixed connection-plate in said body provided with means of connection for said wires, substantially as described.

2. In a cable-head for electric Wires, in combination with an annular disk of non-conducting material entirely inclosed by said head, main cable and branch Wires, separate sets of connection-studs in said disl; for said main and branch Wires respectively, said sets arranged in concentric rows, and means for electrically connecting said sets of studs, substantially as described.

In a cable-head for electric Wires, in combinat-ion with an annular disk of non-conduct ing material secured in and inclosed by said cable -head for affording ready access for change in wire connections, a removable cap for said head, main cable and branch Wires entering said head, and connection-studs for said Wires in said disk, substantially as described.

4. In a cable-head for electric wires, in coinbination with an annular disk of non-conducting material, concentric rows of connectionstuds in said disk, a series of openings in said head corresponding to the studs of one of said rows, main cable-wires and bran ch Wires, said branch wires passed through said openings and connected to the studs of one row, said main Wires connected to the studs of the other row, and means for electrically connecting the studs of the respective rows, substantially as described.

In a cable-head for electric wires, in combination with a connection-plate, a removable cap for said head above said plate, connection-studs in said plate arranged in circular rows around a com 1n on center to facilitate the connection of said Wires, main and branch wires entering said head, all of said Wires connected to said studs on the upper surface of said plate, whereby when the cap is removed said wires and their connections are exposed to view and accessible from above, substantially as described.

G. In a cable-head for electric Wires, in coinbination with a connection-plate having a large central opening, and a series of smaller apertures, an inner and an outer row of con nection-studs in said plate, a series of openings in said head, Wires passing through said central aperture and connected to the inner studs, and branch wires passing through said head-openings and small disk-apertures and connected to said outer studs, and means for electrically connecting the studs of the respective rows, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY ARCHIBALD TOBEY.

Witnesses:

Il. C. ILivs, A. F. SHEPHERD. 

